Sunday, August 6, 2017

Sunday Stroke Survival: You Know You're Paralyzed, Right?

"Doh!" was my response.
This
following question another patient made they made after hearing me tell
my physical therapist what I have been doing on the homestead since I
last saw him a week ago.

This was followed by the usual comment I hear, "You do more before noon than most people do all day!"

Yes,
that's true. I operate a mini farm and homestead. To others
homesteaders, I'm barely doing anything. That's true also. I'll call a
homesteading friend and they will have done twice the amount of work
done that day. I guess it all depends on your point of view. It really
doesn't seem that much to me, but when you recite my list of morning
chores most "ordinary" folks are exhausted just thinking about it.

From
4AM to 7AM, you'll find me in the kitchen. I'm starting the day's
baking. Breads, rolls, breakfast pastries, and desserts for the week are
prepped. I'll also eat my breakfast. Usually yogurt, homemade granola
cereal, or oatmeal. Occasionally, I'll scramble some eggs and have some
toast. I'll hop on the computer to play some wake up my mind games,
answer and read emails, check the day's schedule, etc. I'll feed the
cats and dogs, giving them plenty of ear ruffles before I head outdoors
with them tagging along.

From 7AM to 10 AM, you'll find
me with the chickens, rabbits, or harvesting the garden. I'll gather
wild plantain, poplar and oak leaves, assorted grasses, clover, and
other weeds for the rabbits. While technically their diets is complete
with fodder and timothy hay, I figure the rabbits would like different
things to munch on too. I sort of rotate how much of each they get per
day and change it up. Each will get individual attention...mostly
snuggles and nose to nose Eskimo kisses. Dustin is usually ready for his
morning physical therapy session. I usually feed him first so he's
ready by the time I finish everyone else. I'll gather the eggs before I
head inside. I'll also set up Mel's morning cup of tea.
The
chickens get the bucket full of caterpillars, beetles, and assorted
bugs I find in the garden as well as their ration of fermented grains
(wheat. barley, sunflower, and oats) and a commercial organic chicken food. The
chickens will also spend the bulk of their day free ranging in our
wooded back acreage. I'm also setting up next rotation the fodder and
fermented grains. Broody or Gimpster (as Mel calls her) gets up in the
dog crate to be fed and have her alone time away from the roosters who
aggravate her unmercifully. The cage door isn't latched and she lets
herself out when she is ready to rejoin the flock.

All in all, our animals are pampered if not spoiled rotten.

From
10AM to 3PM, I'm baking whatever I started earlier and washing the
day's harvest. Then, I'm processing the harvest. Canning tomatoes, okra,
and eggplant (for right now). Black-eyed peas, herbs, or other harvest
is set on trays in the oven for the pilot light to dehydrate them.

From
3PM to 5PM, I'm usually doing my off the homestead doctor or therapist
visits, feed stores run (including for us), etc. Or, I'm grooming
rabbits. Or, I'm helping Mel with this or that project around the
homestead. I'm also prepping dinner unless I'm running late and pick
something quick before coming home.

6PM to 10PM, I'm
cleaning up the day's mess in the kitchen. Not that I'm not doing this
during the day too. We are watching our favorite Netflix shows or
watching YouTube. But I'm also knitting. Right now, I'm working on a 12"
wide scarf for Mel. After that project is done, it'll be socks, baby
booties for crisis pregnancy, and dishcloths.

From 10PM
to midnight, I'm usually at my computer. Playing mind building or just
for fun games, writing blogs, answering and reading the 50 odd emails
that have come in during the day. I'll finally lay down for the night
amidst the sounds of crickets, frogs, cat purrs, and an occasional
coyote call.

So what do you think? I'm I too busy or just busy enough? Yes, I know I'm partially paralyzed. Yes, I know I'm living post stroke. The point is...I'm living.